Amalia Enache (presenter of the Evening News for PRO TV) was named “Woman of the Year 2011” last evening, for Social Involvement and Responsibility, at the Woman of The Year 2011 Gala organized by the Avantaje magazine.
For her determination in supporting the past year mission of Hope and Homes for Children Romania (HHC Romania) to close all institutional placement centres in Romania and to move all the children into family environments, for all the interviews given last year in which she so eloquently described the situation of the children who still live their childhoods in buildings resembling municipal hospitals, and for her conviction and passion in making the stories of children who now have a place they call home and a family heard, Amalia Enache was named “Woman of the Year 2011” by the Avantaje magazine, in the Social Involvement and Responsibility category.
Since 2010, Amalia Enache has been the special representative of the Hope and Homes for Children Romania organization, and the award was given to her by Princess Marina Sturdza, an active militant of the Romanian civil society and, at the same time, patron of Hope and Homes for Children, for over 12 years.
“I feel doubly honoured to be giving this award. Firstly, because I have deep respect not only for Amalia Enache’s competencies and sensitivity as a journalist, but also for the modesty and enthusiasm with which she becomes involved in social causes. Secondly, because I was the one who invited Amalia to become special representative for HHC, and enlisted her help in once and for all, eradicating the sad legacy of children abandoned in institutions and ensuring that all Romanian children and their families are assured a home and and the support they need to flourish..” (Princess Marina Sturdza, Patron of Hope and Homes for Children Romania).
“The role taken by Amalia is neither coincidental, nor is it conventional. Her interest and involvement in our projects, in the actions for children because of which we exist as an organization – surpass any and all expectations. For me, it is very important that our values are common: we believe in the right of all children to have a family, to have a childhood lived in love and appreciation. We believe that the lack of love and attachment can mutilate people and their futures, by emptying their lives of all meaning. Amalia is the best ambassador we could have hoped for, because she shares our vision of a world in which every child has the right to a family.” (Stefan Darabus, Ph.D., National Director, HHC Romania)
When receiving the award, Amalia Enache asked the audience to imagine, for a few seconds, a moment everyone surely remembers from their childhood. The one where, for a few minutes, they got lost from their parents. She asked them to multiply that horrifying panic to a few hours, then to a day, then to an entire childhood. “These are the children we look after; the ones we save from institutions and help regain the feeling of safety that only a family can give.” (Amalia Enache, special representative for HHC Romania).
The “Woman of the Year Gala”, already at its fourteenth edition, proposes to present to the public those women who, through their activity during the past year, have contributed to the positive change of the Romanian society and, implicitly, to creating a better image of our country in the world. The event acknowledges the successful women of the year in various fields: art, culture, sports, politics, mass-media, business, social responsibility and involvement, the promotion and protection of woman and child rights, the ambassadors of Romanian Art abroad, science.
About Hope and Homes for Children
The HHC Romania foundation is the main nongovernmental organization known at an international level which fights, together with state institutions, for reforming the child social protection system, through national programmes of abandonment prevention, by transforming the legislation in Romania and the service infrastructure, by reintegrating children into their natural families, through an ample training programme for the personnel in the system.
The mission of HHC Romania is to close all old type institutions in the field of child protection in Romania by 2020.
For 12 years, HHC Romania has been closing old type institutions in the child protection system in Romania, thus offering every child a family life. This year, HHC Romania is celebrating over 12 years of reform in the child protection system in Romania; 46 old type institutions closed; 4,602 children saved from these institutions; 7,520 children have remained with their families thanks to our prevention programmes. And their number is increasing as we speak.
Contact person:
Ioana Hodoiu
CSR Manager, HHC Romania
E-mail: ioana.hodoiu@hhc.ro
Phone no.: 0731.497.402
More details about HHC Romania: http://hhc.ro.
You can also follow our activity on:
http://www.facebook.com/hhcromania
http://twitter.com/protectiecopii